Answer given by Mr Vella on behalf of the European Commission
20.11.2019
The Brown Bear is a strictly protected species listed in Annex IV of the Habitats Directive[1]. Killing of specimens of this species is prohibited under Article 12 of the same Directive. Member States may derogate from the provisions of Article 12, provided that the conditions set in Article 16 are fulfilled.
The Commission will contact the Romanian authorities with respect to Bill L294/2019 passed by the Romanian Senate in order to recall the abovementioned legal obligations. The adoption of this Bill could lead to an incorrect transposition of the directive.
In accordance with the communication entitled ‘EC law: Better results through better application’[2] it should be recalled that, as a matter of priority, the Commission will investigate, among others, cases where Member States have incorrectly transposed Directives.